ABUJA, Nigeria (AP)--The Nigerian navy has intercepted a ship transporting 60 people - just under half of them children - it believes were destined for slavery, news reports said Tuesday.

A navy patrol intercepted the boat off the eastern coast of Nigeria shortly before it entered Cameroon waters over the weekend, the Guardian newspaper reported Tuesday.

The passengers - 34 adults and 26 children - failed to produce travel documents or provide valid reasons for traveling to Cameroon.

"Initial investigations showed that they were being conveyed illegally to Cameroon for human slave labor," Commander James Akinwale, the officer in charge at the eastern navy post at Ibaka, told the paper.

The passengers were to remain in custody pending an investigation. It wasn't immediately clear whether any suspected traffickers were also apprehended.

Navy officials couldn't immediately be reached for comment Tuesday.

The U.N. Children's Fund believes 200,000 children are trafficked across West and Central African borders every year by smuggling rings preying on poor rural families' hopes of a better life for their kids.

Many end up as servants, plantation workers, market vendors or prostitutes in comparatively better-off countries such as Gabon and Ivory Coast.

International publicity about the illicit trade has led to a crackdown on illegal migration in the region.

I think that the people in our country who want reparations because the atrocities their ancestors have endoured are hipocrates. Anyone who was truely concerned about slavery would be working diligently to stop it today, not get cash for the past.

The U.N. Children's Fund believes 200,000 children are trafficked across West and Central African borders every year by smuggling rings preying on poor rural families' hopes of a better life for their kids.

Gee, I would have thought that a story about a fifth of a million poor black kids being sold into slavery would be a top-of-the-fold front page story for the NYT, WP etc.

First story headlining the evening news with Peter, Tom, Dan and Judy.

I wonder why this hasn't been covered by the established mainstream media?

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